Inbound tourists arriving without a PCR test or vaccine certificate to be charged for mandatory quarantine

Non-residents arriving in Malta without a negative test result or vaccine certificate will be made to pay for a test and fees related to staying in dedicated accommodation till they receive a negative test from this week.

According to a legal notice published last week, whether travelling by air or sea, every passenger arriving in Malta must present, upon arrival, a Passenger Locator Form, together with either a PCR test carried out no more than 72 hours earlier, or a vaccination certificate showing they have been fully vaccinated.

Additionally, the legal notice states that "the boarding of any person shall be denied and refused prior to that person's departure from any country to Malta", if they are not in possession of one of the aforementioned documents.

Failing this, any person who arrives in Malta without a negative test result or vaccination certification will be subjected to a negative PCR test and placed into mandatory quarantine until their test results come back.

These arrivals will be required to quarantine in Health Authority dedicated accommodation if they are not residents, or, if they are residents they can quarantine in suitable, approved accommodation.

Both non-residents and residents will be presented with a bill for their test, but non-residents will also be "subject to the payment of the fees applicable for such [health authority dedicated] accommodation".

The legal notice also specifies that carriers by air and sea should inform persons travelling with them of the new requirements.

The rules apply to all those aged over five.

Malta is set to reopen to tourists on Tuesday, and the Health Authorities will be keen to limit imported cases, especially given the spread of new, more infectious variants of COVID.